Automatic cut-off for cisterns.



No. 659,548. Patented Oct. 9, |900.

J. T. & C. G. MARTIN.

AUTOMATIC) GUT-UFF FDR SISTER-NS.

(Applicator: led June 2S, 1900.)

llNrrn" STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

JACKSON T. MARTIN AND CLARENCE G. MARTIN, OE SPRINGFIELD,

MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC CUT-OFF FOR C'ISTERNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,541, dated October 9, 1900.

Application filed June 23, 1900. Serial No. 21,292. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t Hetty concern:

Be it known that we, JACKSON T. MARTIN and CLARENCE G. MARTIN, citizens of .the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Greene and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Cut-Offs for Cisterns; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable Others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in cut-offs of that character interposed between a gutter-pipe and a cistern for cutting off" the flow of the first water containing refuse from the roof and then allowing the clear water to run into the cistern.

The object of the invention is to provide a cut-olf which is simple and efficient in construction and operation, entirely automatic in action, and adapted when open toallow water to flow into the cistern and strain the same and exclude any refuse matter carried thereby. I

With this and other minor objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly point.

ed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of a cut-olf embodying our invention, showing in full lines the valve arranged to cut off the flow of water from the cistern and in dotted lines to cut off the dow of water to the waste-tank, so as to allow it to enter the cistern. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the valve. Fig. 3 is a cross-section thereof.

In the practical operation of this invention it is intended that it be located in the immediate vicinity of the cistern or tank for collecting rain-water and operate so as to cut off the ow of the rst water fromithe roof-- that is, the water that contains the refuse, dac., upon the roof-'and conduct it into a waste-tank and then to automatically shut off the flow of water to the waste-tank, so as to conduct the clear water to the cistern.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral l represents a valvecasing having an inlet-tube 2 for connection with a rain-water pipe leading from "the gutters of a house and diverging spouts or outlets 3 and 4, the spout 3 being arranged to discharge into a waste-tank 5 andthe spout 4 into a cistern of any approved construction. (Not shown.)

20 represents a scraper arranged .in the casing to prevent leaves and other ruobishfrom Working between the' valve and casing when Water is passing to the cistern and also to remove all debris from the perforated top 9 as the valve swings down into the spoilt 4.

Located between the two sponts or outlets is a valve 6, constructed of approximately V- shaped end pieces '7 and inclined side pieces 8 and a convex top 9, thus forming a cut-off which is closed at each end and one side and open at the other side. This valve is pivoted at its vertex or narrow base portion to' the casing and is adapted to swing down into thev spout or outlet 4 to out olf the flow of water to the eistern` and allow it to pass through the spout 3.into the waste-tank and to assume a substantially vertical position to cut off the flow of water to said tank and allow.

the same to pass through the spout 4 to the cistern. As shown, the closed side of the valve faces the spout or outlet 3, while the open side thereof faces in the direction of the spout or outlet 4.. When the valve is arranged in the full-line position shownin Fig. l, wherein it is represented as swung to the right into the spout or outlet 4, the water entering through theinlet 2 is wholly diverted from the spout .4.and caused to flow through the spout 3 into the drip-tank. When, on.

The waste-tank 5 has its upper end open and'arranged immediately belowA the spout IOO or outlet 3, so as to receive the water there#- from, andV is closed its lowered ty meansof a screw-cap 10, which may be readily removed at any time to clean the tank and rid it ofthe accumulation of refuse matter. To this cap is applied a waste or dripcock ll,- througlrwhich' the w'ater exhausts fiioln the tank in the manner and for the purpose hei" inal'ter described.

Arranged alongside the driptank 5 is a float-tank l2, in which is mov-ably mounted a float 13, carried by a rod, pist-on, or plunger Il, mounted to slide at its upperendwin guides 15 upon a board or other suitable base-support 1b, upon which all the parts of the apparalus are mounted. The lower end of the neat-tank is connected with the lower e'nd of the waste-tank through the medium of a short lateral pipe or conductor 17, so that the water from the waste-tank may flow into the float/tank to operate the fioat 13, a screen of wirework or other suitable material 18 being located in said pipe or conductor to prevent leaves and other refuse passing from the waste-,tank into the float-tank alongr with the water. t

The valve is automatically operated by the float to control the flow of the Water to the waste-tank or the cistern through the medium of a laterally-shiftable operating-'rod 19, connected at one end to ears 20, secured to the side 8 thereof, and at its opposite end to one arm 21A of a bell-crank lever 22, pivoted to the side piece 16. The other arm 23 of this bell-` crank lever is located within the path of two tappet-'lugs or projections 24 and 25, carried by the float'plunger 14 and serve, as the neat descends and ascends in its tank 12, to oper; ate said bell-crank leverv and move the oper= ating-arm 19 in one direction or the other to bring the valve into position to cut olf the ow of water from either the waste-tank or the cisteru.

In the practical operation ot' the invention the parts are normally arranged as shown in 'full lines in Fig. 1, the valvebeing shown lo= cated to cause the first flow of the rainwater from the roof into thewaste-tank5, so as to prevent the refuse Washed from the roof from passing into the cistern. The water upon rising in the wastedsank 5 to the level of the bottom of the neat-tank passes through the short pipe 17 into said float-tank and gradu` ally forces the ioat-l3 upward as it` rises therein. When the float reaches the limit of its upward movement, the tappet-lug or projection 25 comes in contact with the lower arm 23 of the bell-crank lever 22 and swings the saine upwardly, whereby the upper arm 21 of said bell-crank lever is caused to draw the operatingrod 19 upwardly and laterally to the left, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1, by which the valve is moved to an upright position, so as to cut oi the flow of the water from the waste-tank 5 and cause` it to pass through the spout or outlet 4 into the cistern, the water in passing through the valve, in

the manner hereinbefore described, being strained, soi as to rid it of any foieign matter which may be carried thereby. It will thus be seen that at the beginning ofa rain lhe lirst waler from the roof-that is, the water that contains the refuse `washed from the roof-is div'eited foin the cisten and caused to 'pass info the waste-tank, and through the medium of the lio-at and connections the valve is operated atapredetermiued time to cut olf the dow of water from the drip-tank and cause it to pass into the cistern after a certain quantily has passed down into the drip-\ank, and the inl'lowing water becomes clear. By this means the cistern is kept clear of'dirt, leaves, and other refuse matter, and nothing but clean water is allowed to enter therein, so that frequent cleaning ofthe c'istern is unnecessary. The water. contained in the float and waste ta-n'ks gradually exhausts therefrom through the drip or waste cock 11, which may be set to effect the exhaust in any desired period of time. The float thus gradually lowers in the tank 12 until the tappet-*lug or projection 211 comes in contact with the arm 23 of the bell-crank lever 22, which is forced down until the parts assume the full-'line position shown in Fig. 1, in which the valve is represented as having been forced out of an upright position down into the spoilt 4 of the valve-casing, so as to again divert the flow of water from the cistern into the tank 5, thusv automatically resetting the apparatus for operation when another rain comes.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and mode of operation of our invention will be readily understood, and it will be seen that it provides a simple and ef Ifective device which is entirely automatic in action and requires no attention beyond removing the accumlilated refuse from the vsaste"tank.` It will be understood that in practice the' board or base support 16 is seL cured to the house or to a suitable framework adjacent to the cistern and that the inlet of `the valve-casing is connected to the usual roof=gutter` through the medium of a suitable `pipe or conductor.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is`

1l In a cut-0E for cisterne and the like, the combination with a valve-casing having outlets to discharge into a cistern and waste-tank, of a valve mounted in said casing and controlling said outlets and provided with a strainer to prevent the passage of refuse when mounted in position to cause the water to pass int'o the cistern, and a scraper flor automaticL ally removing the debris from said strainer as the valve is swung to the reverse position, substantially as set forth. j

2. In a cut-'onf for cisterne and the like, the combination with the casing having outlets to discharge the water into a cistern and a IIO waste=tank, of a valve pivotally mounted in said casing to swing laterally and control said outlets and having a closed side facing the Waste-tank outlet and an open side facing the cistern-outlet, and a strainer-top in communication with said open side and through which the Water is adapted to pass in fiowing into the cistern-outlet7 said closed side serving as the valve proper to control said outlets, substantially as described.

3. In a cut-off for cisterns and the like, the combination with the Valve-casing having outlets to discharge into a Waste-tank and a cistern, of a valve in said casing comprising substantially V-shaped end pieces, a side piece and a perforated top, forming a cut-off having a closed side facing the Waste-tank outlet and an open side facing the cisternoutlet, said open side being in communication with the perforated top, and means for operating the Valve, substantially as described.

4. In a cut-off for cisterns and the like, the combination with the valve-casing having In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JACKSON T. MARTIN. CLARENCE G. MARTIN.

Witnesses:

GEO. B, FAIRBANKS, F. P. AGNEW. 

